May 2019
Some stories covered in the May issue are politics, food and drink, education, and fashion. The feature stories are ‘Craft Beverage Update’, ‘Waking Dreams on the Great White Way’, and ‘A Sense of Place’.
Cover Story
David Siever’s Historical Dioramas Offer a Rare Window into the Past
Sculptor David Siever shares how his fascination with action figures as a child pushed him to create miniature, scenes from the Mexican-American War (1846-1848).
The Local Shape of Biodiversity Collapse
Here in the Hudson Valley, biodiversity collapse might look like this: an old abandoned mine cave in Rosendale, home to a once-thriving population of Indiana bats. A decade ago, over the course of a single year, nearly every bat in the cave died, done in by an exotic fungus that disturbs the creatures’ hibernation and ultimately…
Five Fantastic Hudson Valley Events
Submitted for your approval: this diverse list of cool local things to do as May turns into June. Please enjoy.
Five Fun Things to Do in the Hudson Valley This Week
Summer’s setting in—and so’s the fun. Get set for Memorial Day weekend and live it up with these fabulous festivities.
New York In Prison
What’s a crazier proposition: doing away with a county jail altogether, or spending $70 million on a jail that will probably hold no more than 15 people? That’s what the citizens of Greene County are facing right now, as the county prepares to break ground on a new jail. The county’s old facility has deteriorated to…
Early Terrible Wine Bar Embodies the New Wave of Woodstock
A black sign on Woodstock’s Mill Hill Road features the words Early Terrible scrawled in white handwriting. The peculiar post leads to a downhill path that brings you to the village’s newest hideaway. Early Terrible Wine Bar aims to pique your curiosity before you even darken its doorstep. “The name is supposed to be thought-provoking,…
Hit a Mother’s Day Home Run with Pastries from The Bakery
Whether you’re a spouse or child, breakfast in bed is a time-honored, fool-proof way to kick off Mother’s Day with a bang. Plan ahead and do your pastry shopping at The Bakery in New Paltz, which offers a wide array of scrumptious baked goods from sticky, finger-licking cinnamon buns to fluffy, golden croissants, muffins, doughnuts,…
Our Aging Infrastructure: Peril and Opportunity
Get ready for Infrastructure Week. From May 13 to 20, lawmakers and stakeholders in the nation’s capital and beyond will be engaged in tackling our most pressing infrastructure needs—or not. In this chaotic hour, it seems that 2019’s Infrastructure Week could easily end up like last year’s: more of an Internet joke than an engine of…
5 Cool Things to Do This Month in the Hudson Valley
Food? Photography? Film? Prog rock? Yeah, the Hudson Valley’s got all that in May.
No More Plastic Bags
It’s official: New York State has banned plastic grocery bags. The much-debated bag ban was passed by the state legislature as part of the annual budget, with the enthusiastic backing of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and goes into effect in March of 2020. In a symbolic–and local–display of environmental concern, the governor signed the ban into effect on…
Five Fun Things to Do in the Hudson Valley in Early May
From indie rock to handmade and vintage shopping, edgy photography, plants for your home, and…Latin bluegrass?
Understanding the Vaccination Controversy
Since the mid-19th century, when the smallpox vaccine was mandated for students in Massachusetts, schools have been where the rubber meets the road in the battle against infectious disease. In the late 1970s, outbreaks of measles in Alaska and Los Angeles drew fresh attention to enforcement. It was observed that strict enforcement led to dramatic…
Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley: A Regional Benefactor
Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley isfast becoming one of the largest grantmakers in the region.
7 Strange Headlines You Might Have Missed in April
News stories you might have missed last month.
Gemini Horoscope | May 2019
You might feel invincible this month, but be sure to pace yourself.
High Spirits: The State of the Hudson Valley Craft Distilling Industry
An estimated 40 craft distilleries will be in operation in the region by year’s end (of the 180 in New York). Like the now-explosive beer industry, craft distilling started out tentatively, at times below the radar, but quickly found a fan base.
Development in the Spotlight: Beacon, NY
Fifteen years after the launch of Dia, Beacon is no longer a “best-kept secret,” drawing tourists, artists, and developers in droves.
A Conversation with Caroline Crumpacker, the ED of Opus 40
Caroline Crumpacker discusses all the exiting things coming to Opus 40.
Cancer Horoscope | May 2019
Although you may face an obstacle or two, keep at it and you’ll reach your ultimate goal.
Chronogram Poetry | May 2019
A selection of poems submitted by Chronogram readers and edited by Phillip X. Levine.
WNYC Radio Host Alison Stewart Finds Inspiration in Her Woodstock Cabin
WNYC radio host Alison Stewart takes a circuitous route to finding her dream home.
Pisces Horoscope | May 2019
If you’ve felt stripped and depleted recently, don’t despair, this month you will finally recalibrate your gears.
Eileen Fisher’s Westchester Factory Paves the Way to Sustainable Fashion
At Eileen Fisher’s Tiny Factory in Irvington, the national brand is leading the industry toward sustainable horizons.
Simi Stone Settles Down in Woodstock
Having ticked the boxes of hard-rocking frontwoman and backup singer to the stars, Woodstock-born Simi Stone has returned to the quietude of her hometown.
Gerard Wickham’s Solo Show at Unison Arts Center
Time freezes in Gerard Wickham’s paintings, offering a rare, intimate, and often comical window into his home life. A solo show of his work is on display at Unison Arts Center.
WM Farmer & Sons’ Prescription Julep Recipe
In honor of spring and the Kentucky Derby, WM Farmer & Son’s julep variation of choice.
Album Review: Nightmares for a Week | Celebrations
An album review of Nightmares for a Week’s Celebrations.
Leo Horoscope | May 2019
You will break through to a higher level of leadership and authority as you initiate a new role.
6 Books to Read in May
From a vegetable gardening how-to book to an anthology of stories on lived changed by chance to a heart-racing novel about a government scandal, six short book reviews.
The Gabriels: A Three-Part Play Cycle by Richard Nelson
Brian Turk reviews Richard Nelson’s three-part play cycle, The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family.
CD Review: Lorkin O’Reilly | Heaven Depends
Album review of Heaven Depends by Lorkin O’Reilly.
Woodstock-New Paltz Art & Crafts Fair Returns May 25-27
The Woodstock-New Paltz Art & Crafts Fair kicking off this years festivities during the Memorial and Labor Day weekends.
5 Places to Dine & Drink in the Hudson Valley This May
Five places to dine and drink this May.
CD Review: Bill Brovold | Bill Brovold’s Stone Soup
A CD review of Bill Brovold’s Stone Soup.
Mark Dion’s “Follies” at Storm King Art Center
Mark Dion’s collection of whimsical outbuildings, “Follies,” is on display at Storm King.
Virgo Horoscope | May 2019
Your efforts will ripen in exciting ways, but keep a level, steady head throughout, or burn yourself out!
Craig Ferguson Reads from His Memoir at Bard College on May 8
Actor-turned-author Craig Ferguson reads from his latest memoir at Bard.
LAB Fest at GARNER Arts Center: An Immersive Art Experience
LAB Fest at GARNER Arts Center is a weekend of immersive art, performance, and craft beer.
Libra Horoscope | May 2019
Mid-May will see a transit that harmonizes emotions, resets priorities, and resolves tensions via intimate bonding.
Kathy Ruttenberg’s “In Dreams Awake” Installation on Broadway
Kathy Ruttenberg’s Broadway installation, “In Dreams Awake,” bewitches harried passersby with its cast of mythological characters.
David Halliday’s Photography Exhibit at Carrie Haddad Gallery
“Still | Life | Like” is on display at Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson through June 9.
The State of the Hudson Valley Craft Beer Industry
From beer to spirits and wine, all sectors of the Hudson Valley’s craft beverage industry are growing at unprecedented rates.
An Excerpt from the New Edition of Margaret Roach’s Away to Garden
An excerpt from Margaret Roach’s recently updated hands-on primer A Way to Garden.
Celebrating the 100th Birthday of Pete Seeger
A roundup of events celebrating folk singer and activist Pete Seeger’s 100th birthday.
Scorpio Horoscope | May 2019
You’re full of desire now, but is this the road to commitment?
New Urgent Care Centers for Mental Health Offer Help & Support
New walk-in centers for mental health and addiction offer help in urgent situations.
8 Hudson Valley Art Exhibits to Catch in May
A guide to 9 gallery exhibitions to see in the Hudson Valley May.
Sagittarius Horoscope | May 2019
Your job is to keep from losing the hard-won ground you’ve been fighting for.
Editor’s Note: Six Brief Eulogies for My Father
Our editor Brian Mahoney shares six memories featuring his father and the lessons he took from those memories.
6 Live Music Shows in the Hudson Valley to See in May
Our six picks of live music shows to see in May.
Capricorn Horoscope | May 2019
You will find yourself doing some much-needed relationship housekeeping. Be prepared to face some backlash as you you cleanse yourself of toxic relationships
Hudson Valley Outdoor Adventure Guide
Fifteen can’t-miss outdoor activities for a perfectly adventurous Upstate summer.
Body Politic: The Green New Deal
Larry Beinhart delves into Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ‘Green New Deal’.
May Astrological Forecast: We Sing the Body Electric
Lorelai Kude scans the skies and plots our horoscopes for May.
Aquarius Horoscope | May 2019
Those little annoyances you’ve been working on will finally fall away and make sense to you.
Understanding Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC)
A full service and fully inclusive continuing care retirement community.
Aries Horoscope | May 2019
You’ll be driven to pursue romance and conduct courtship with someone “exotic” or “foreign” via the communicative arts.
8 Things in the Hudson Valley This May
A roundup of 8 fun cultural events to do in May in the Hudson Valley.
Understanding the Vaccination Controversy
Tensions are running high around the controversial topic of vaccination. Here’s a look at both sides of the debate.
Esteemed Reader | May 2019
Our publisher Jason Stern shares an E. E. Cummings poem about death and rebirth, and discusses the cycle happening in different forms.
Taurus Horoscope | May 2019
Harness your powerful creative forces this month and make use of it. There are no obstacles ahead.
The Hudson Valley’s Wine Industry Reaches Critical Mass
While the Hudson Valley’s robust craft beverage scene may seem like a new phenomenon, this fertile region is actually home to America’s oldest winery and its oldest vineyard. In the past few years, local beer and spirits may have overshadowed wine, but the Hudson Valley vintners paved the way for so many others and their…
West End Lofts in Beacon, NY: A Hub for Artists
Already a flourishing center for creatives, Beacon will soon up the ante with a brand-new, affordable housing development devoted almost entirely to the arts.
A Frosty Duo of Cupcake Events in the Hudson Valley this May
Hudson Valley cupcake events in Beacon, New Paltz, and Gardiner are seriously sweet.
